Till There Was You
by LexieF
Summary: (Story title based on the title of a Beatles' song) - Harry's hopes for a better future after defeating Voldemort were slowly fading, until the day he met her. Can a stranger win his heart and change his life? And with Dark forces at work once more, can she become the center of his world and the encouragement he will need to fight once more?
1. Paths Cross

**Hey you guys, I'm back!**

**I wasn't planning on writing another fanfic for a while, but just like with my other two, the idea came out of nowhere, I began writing and now I can't stop. I'm not entirely sure of all that will happen, but the general outline is almost done and I have written a few scattered chapters already. **

**This story will be different from my other two (besides all the evident) because I decided to write it from the characters point of view. In the past few weeks, coincidently, I have read several fics written like so, and I decided to give it a try. Not sure how it will turn out so please be nice (:**

**As always, any suggestions, critics and praises are always welcome! Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

"C'mon mate! You can't miss dinner again, Hermione will be furious!"

"I'll be there next week, Ron" I said, without looking at my best friend.

"That is what you said last week"

"I can't tonight"

"Why not? She won't be there, you know?"

I sighed. I knew Hermione wouldn't bring Ginny this time, and yet, I still didn't want to go. As happy as I was for my two best friends, being around them reminded me of Ginny, and what we used to have. I finally looked up from my work area, and found Ron leaning against the wall, looking at me intensely.

"I just can't" I said, looking down at my desk again.

Ron sighed, opened his mouth to say something, changed his mind and simply left. I jumped slightly at the sound of the door being slammed, and looked up again. The room was empty now, as Ron and I were the only ones who stayed late. The other aurors were either already gone, or still out in the field.

After I defeated Voldemort, I joined the aurors with Ron. Unlike Hermione and Ginny, we did not return to Hogwarts for our last year. The year following my victory had been a great one. I was back with Ginny, Hermione and Ron were finally together, and I no longer had the weight of being the Chosen One pressing on my shoulders. Then, things began to change. My relationship with Ginny slowly faded as the months passed, even though we both tried to keep it alive, but when she was offered the chance to play seeker for a very famous team in Ireland, a year after finishing school, we decided to face the reality and end it.

At first, the news of our breakup shook Hermione and the other Weasley's. In an attempt to bring us back together, Hermione would constantly mention me in her letters to Ginny, and mention Ginny anytime I was around. After a couple of months, she had invited me for her weekly Thursday night dinner with Ron, as she often did, but failed to mention she had also invited Ginny. When I arrived at the Leaky Caldron and saw Ginny, I could tell by the look of surprise on her face she did not know I would be there as well. The result was an uncomfortably awkward dinner, in which Ron sat mainly in silence, ears red, looking at the table or at Hermione who did much of the talking. After that night, I declined three invitations for Thursday's night dinners, even though I knew Hermione would not be foolish enough to try the same approach again and it had happened over two months ago.

I finally gave up on finishing my report and began to organize my belongings. After cleaning my area and packing my bag, I looked at the clock and was shocked to see it was almost eight at night. I was no longer hungry, as thoughts of Ginny and our past had my stomach turning. Try as I may, I could not tell what had gone wrong between us. I had madly fallen in love with her during my sixth year, missed her greatly during the time I was traveling with my best friends, and gotten back together with her as soon as I saw her after the battle… and we were no longer together. It just didn't make any sense.

To make matters worse, my mood was progressively deteriorating and I couldn't say why. I missed Ginny, yes, but it wasn't that. Something was wrong, or missing, or both and if I couldn't figure out what soon, I would lose my mind.

As I walked towards the lift, I contemplated meeting with my friends for dinner. Perhaps it would make me feel better. Then again, Ron was clearly mad at me and I didn'didn't want to deal with that right now.

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

I was chatting with my best friend Ava, another one of the servers, when I saw him come in. We had never met, but he was the most famous wizard alive. I lost track of what Ava was saying as I watched him look around for somewhere to sit, deciding on a table at the very back, almost hidden from sight. He sat with his back to the room around him and even from a distance I could tell something wasn't right.

"Hey, are you even listening?" Ava's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Yes Ava"

"What did I just say?"

"Something fascinating, but I have to go take an order"

I walked towards Harry, leaving Ava behind with a hurt expression.

"Hi, may I take your order?"

"Tea please" He said, without looking at me.

I walked back to where Ava stood and began to prepare the tea. Ava resumed her story as if she had never been interrupted, but I still wasn't paying her any attention. Something about Harry's posture and tone of voice had me worried, although I couldn't tell why. I didn't know him, so why did it even matter? When his tea was ready, I walked back to his table, noticing on my way there how a gentleman from a crowded table was looking at Harry's back with particular interest.

"Here is your tea" I said, placing the hot beverage in front of him.

"Thanks"

I nodded and turned to leave, nearly running into someone. The man, the same I had just seen staring at Harry, apologized while trying to see past me, but I didn't move.

"May I help you sir?"

"I wish to see the man behind you. That's Harry Potter, isn't it?"

"Pardon me sir, but no. That is my brother, Robert"

"Are you sure? It looked a lot like Potter" The man said, still trying to see past me.

"Quite positive. I'm afraid they do resemble each other"

"Oh" He said, still blocking my way.

"Please excuse me sir, but I have other people to serve, and my brother is rather indisposed"

"Thank you for my tea, sister" Harry said in a rough voice, playing along.

I nodded at Harry, and then turned to face the man blocking my way. After apologizing again, he finally walked back to his table and sat down with his friends. They continued to stare at Harry's back for a few more minutes, before finishing their drinks and leaving. I continued to serve the other patrons, and when I returned to pick Harry's tea cup, he was already gone.

* * *

It was almost ten thirty at night, and I was finally leaving the cafe. Closing the door behind me, I tapped the nob twice with my wand and locked it. The street was dark and empty, as many of the business were already closed, and the cold winter wind was blowing hard.

"Hi" a male voice said.

I jumped at the sound of his voice and, wand still in hand, turned to face the man.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" He said, taking a step closer to me.

The man took a step forward into the circle of light casted by the lamp floating above us and I could finally see his face. It was Harry Potter.

"It's ok" I said putting my wand away, heart still beating fast.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did today"

"Oh that? It was nothing" I said with a small smile.

"I happen to think it was. I can't go anywhere anymore without people asking me for autographs, or about all that happened over two years ago… I didn't mind it, but now I wish people would leave me alone. I just want to be able to enjoy a mug of tea, without having to discuss Voldemort"

I shivered at the Dark Lord's Name. Even now, after he had been killed, his name still conveyed fear to some.

"I understand. I will tell my uncle about it and we can place some spells at the table you sat today, so that you can have some privacy any time you wish to stop by"

"You don't have to do that"

"I know, but I want to"

"Thank you"

"You already said that" I said, smiling again. "Have you… uh, been out here this whole time?"

I couldn't tell for sure when he had left, as I had been busy with other people, but I remembered having looked at the clock before taking his tea and that had been at least two hours ago. For a while Harry didn't respond, he simply stared at his feet, kicking the snow around him absentmindedly.

"Yes" He finally said. "It was unexpectedly comforting to just sit and watch the snow fall"

"Mr. Potter, is ev…"

"Harry, please call me Harry"

"Harry… are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine"

I wasn't convinced, but it was none of my business so I simply nodded. All around us, the snow was falling harder and the wind blowing faster.

"I have to go now" I said, feeling guilty. He looked like he needed someone to talk to, and here I was, leaving.

"Have a good night"

"You too"

With one last look at him, I turned on the spot and apparated home.

**_Harry's POV_**

I stood still for a little longer, looking at the place where she had just been. What was it about her that captivated me? Why was I feeling worse now that she was gone? At first, it had sounded like a good idea to wait for her to come out; now, I felt a little silly about it. In fact, I wasn't even sure why I had done it. Of course I wanted to thank her, but why didn't I do so before leaving the café earlier? Or left a note with my payment? Why, indeed, had I waited so long in the cold weather? I wasn't sure.

And when she asked me if I was ok, I lied. I haven't been okay in a long time. _I need to see her again, _I thought,_ soon. _And as I walked away a more alarming thought struck me: _ I don't even know her name. _


	2. Got to Get You into My Life

**_The chapter's title is based on the title of a Beatles' song. I'm actually going to try and use their song titles for all the chapters I can (bc, in case you can't tell, i'm a _****_Beatles fan :D)_**

**_As always, _****anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK. **

**_Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!_**

**_Without further ado, here is chapter two!_**

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

Sleep did not come easily to me that night, as I continued to think about her. She was faintly familiar, yet a complete stranger. I spent a unreasonable amount of time thinking about whether or not to go see her again, even though I had made the decision the minute she apparated away from me.

When my alarm finally went off, I climbed out of bed with a groan and slowly walked to the bathroom. I took a long, warm shower in the hopes it would help me wake up and by the time I sat down at the table to eat breakfast, I felt somewhat more alert. I halfway watched as Kreacher placed my food and the daily prophet on the table and didn't even realize he was talking to me until he placed a tiny hand on my arm.

"Master seems drowsy" He observed.

"Rough night" I said, before taking a gulp of pumpkin juice.

The remainder of my morning routine went by in a blur and before I knew it, I was sitting in my office at the Ministry of Magic, Ron sitting next to me animatedly talking about the new broom Nimbus was about to unveil. I tried my best to listen, nodding every now and then but my brain seemed to refuse paying attention to anything other than her. My day went by agonizingly slow, as if someone had bewitched time to move at half its normal speed, but the time to leave eventually came about.

I accompanied Ron to Quality Quidditch Supplies and for the good part of an hour, I forgot about her entirely as we both admired the new Nimbus, which we both ended up buying with a few other things. Afterwards, we agreed on stopping by the Leaky Cauldron and grabbing a bite to eat. We ran into a few friends from Hogwarts and stayed longer than either of us had anticipated, but it worked out perfectly in the end. We left about the same time I had stopped by the café in the previous night and I hoped she would be there again today, working the same shift.

I walked into the café and was pleased to find my table empty. I sat down and was soon approached by a witch with short brown hair and beautiful brown eyes.

"Hi, my name is Ava, what can I get you?"

"Just tea please" I said.

"I'll be right back"

I nodded and immediately proceeded to scan the room, looking for her. To my disappointment, she was nowhere to be found.

"Excuse me Mr. Potter, may we have a word?"

I had been so focused on scanning the room I failed to notice the wizard approach me. Turning to face the man, I noticed he had the same shade of blond as hers.

"My name is Paul" He said, extending his hand "I wanted to introduce myself and to let you know this table has been protect with enchantments, to ensure your privacy"

"Thank you very much sir" I said, taking his hand "I apologize for the inconvenience"

"Not at all" He said.

"Please have a sit" I said and he obliged.

We spent a few minutes talking about non important things and sipping on tea. He assured me several times _my table_ would always be ready and vacant, and that his staff would not bother me. I wanted to ask him about his niece, but wasn't sure on how to approach the subject. It was a long time before he finally mentioned her.

"I've always admired Chloe's good heart and determination. I will have you know she owled me the moment she got home last night, so that I could make the arrangements for your table first thing this morning."

_Chloe, the name fits her perfectly, _I thought and I felt a small smile form in my lips.

"She also told me about keeping a gentleman away from you last night. Between her and Ava, you chose the right place to hide, Mr. Potter" He joked.

I laughed and we continued to talk until Paul realized the servers were closing the café. He jumped from his seat and shaking my hand, excused himself. I left, after trying to pay but being told by Paul the tea was on him, and apparated home feeling much lighter than the night before. Without realizing, I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, one word floating around my head.

_Chloe_.

* * *

I woke up on Saturday with every intention of stopping by the café again, but before I could even make it to the kitchen for breakfast, Kreacher handed me an official looking letter that changed my entire weekend. I was assigned a mission, with Ron and a handful of other aurors, that would last two days and I was to leave immediately.

By the time I returned home on Sunday night, extremely tired, it was too late to go anywhere so I took a quick shower and climbed in my bed. I tried not to get upset over two missed opportunities to see her, repeating to myself I had the entire week ahead of me.

Every day that week I stopped by the café for tea, always at the same time, but she was never there. Paul was around for some of those days and I grew to enjoy our talks. To keep Hermione from jinxing me, I went out for dinner with her and Ron on Thursday and in the end I was glad I did. I hadn't realized just how much I missed being around my two best friends, without any worries, until we all got together.

On Friday, after an excruciating day at work, I stopped by the café again and still not signs of her. I sat reading a long memo from the Minister, sipping on my tea ever so often, when a voice interrupted my reading.

"She will be here tomorrow night"

I looked up from the memo to find Ava looking down at me.

"I'm sorry?" I said.

"Chloe, you have been looking for her" It wasn't a question, and her tone of voice had a hint of amusement "I've seen how you always scan the room when you come in, and how you try not to look disappointed when you realize she isn't here."

"That obvious?" I said, feeling my cheeks warm as blood rushed to them.

"Only for those who care to be observant" She said with a smile "She usually works here only on weekends, unless her uncle needs her to help out. Her shift will start at six in the afternoon tomorrow and she stays till closing"

"Thanks" I said, truly appreciative of the information.

"For what?" She said, winking at me as she took my cup away.


	3. All I've Got to Do

_**Hey guys! First, let me apologize for not updating in such a long time; in between the Holidays, my birthday, a friend visiting from out of town and being sick for the past four days, I haven't had the time to write. But, the wait is over, and here is chapter three ( :**_

_**The chapter's title is based on the title of a Beatles' song. I'm actually going to try and use their song titles for all the chapters I can (bc, in case you can't tell, i'm a Beatles fan :D)**_

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

It had been a long week, a very, very, very long week. Work at the ministry, training, and studying when I finally arrived home left me with little time to eat or sleep. It was such a relief to finally wake up and realize it was Saturday morning and I had nowhere to be until six in the afternoon, I decided to stay in bed and be lazy for the entire day. I quickly changed my mind as the smell of breakfast drifting from the kitchen caused my stomach to growl.

I walked to the kitchen leisurely and found my dad with his back towards me, wand pointed at the frying pan in which large pieces of bacon were cooking.

"That smells so good" I said, walking past him and heading to the table.

"Morning sleepy head" He said, moving the bacon from the pan to a plate.

"Morning dad" I said, sinking in the chair "and morning mom" I added, looking at her photograph over the fireplace mantel.

"Any other plans today, besides work?" Dad asked, putting down the plate with the bacon in the center of the table, next to the toast.

"Does staying in bed and being lazy count as a plan?" I asked, reaching for the bacon and taking a huge bite of it.

"Of course, I just didn't realize you were that tired"

"I didn't either"

"Do you want me to owl my brother and ask him to give you today off?"

"No dad, but thanks"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure"

"Okay… well darling, I have to go" He said, standing up and sending his plate to the sink with a wave of his wand.

"Where?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Work" He said with a sight "Things have been very busy in the office since Nimbus unveiled their new model"

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes" He said, kissing the top of my head and leaving the room.

* * *

"Hey Ava, Dan" I said, walking behind the counter and grabbing my apron.

Dan waved and gave me a smile as he walked out of the door, being done with his shift and Ava said a quick hi as she walked by me with a tray of drinks, headed to a large table by the front window. It wasn't long before the routine of work settled in and the two of us alternated between catching up behind the counter and serving the clients, the only unusual thing being the looks Ava constantly gave to the table we had set aside for Harry Potter.

"Waiting on someone?" I teased her when I caught her looking at his table for the twentieth time that night.

"Pardon me?" She said, turning around to face me.

"You keep looking at the table we set aside for Harry"

"Ohh" She said with a chuckle and sounding very amused "No, _I'm_ not the one waiting on someone…"

"What does that mean?"

"You will see" She said, before walking away to serve a new client.

**_Harry's POV_**

It was past eight o'clock when I walked into the café, although I would have been there much earlier if Hermione hadn't insisted on getting mine and Ron's opinions on a new law for the welfare of house elves she was currently working on. It was a very good and solid law, nothing less than one would expect from Hermione Granger, but she never ceased to impress both me and Ron.

I tried my best not to look excited when I walked in and saw her, currently behind the counter. After an entire week of waiting to see her, tonight was finally the one.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come" A female voice said.

I looked up to find Ava staring down at me, a knowing smile on her face.

"I'll have the usual please" I said, smiling back at her.

I watched as she walked back to the counter and begun to prepare my order. When she was done, she handed the tray to Chloe, like I expected she would, before grabbing someone else's other.

"Good evening Mr. Potter, err, Harry… here is your order"

"Thanks"

"Ava said you have stopped by several times… I'm glad you are enjoying the privacy of your table."

"All thanks to you, but it's not just the privacy, people here are very nice"

"Yes, we are a good group. I trust they haven't bothered you?"

"Not at all, and I have really enjoyed my talks with your uncle, he is a very smart guy"

"Oh yes, that he is"

"Would you like to join me?" I blurted out, pointing at the chair opposite to mine.

"I…" She began, but another voice cut her.

"She would" Ava said, appearing next to Chloe "It's about time for her break anyways"

"Right" Chloe said, looking at Ava with an expression I couldn't quite figure out.

"Brilliant, I'll bring you some tea" Ava said to Chloe, before walking away.

"I'm sorry" Chloe said, sitting down "She's a great friend, but she can be a little much sometimes"

As promised, Ava came back with a cup of tea for Chloe and assured us both that she could handle the café herself for a while, so we were free to talk for as long as we wanted. And talk we did, for almost an hour before Chloe realized how long she had been on a break and, apologizing, stood up and went back to work.

During our conversation I learned a few things about her, like the reason she looked somewhat familiar was because she went to Hogwarts as well, Ravenclaw house. She started on my third year and had just graduated in June. She lived with her father, which happened to be one of the owners of Firebolt Broom Company, and was currently working and undergoing training as an Obliviator for the ministry of magic. True to her house sorting, she was very smart and witty, something I found very enjoyable.

I left the café right before they were to close and arrived home feeling very content.

* * *

For the remainder of November and halfway through December, I continued to stop by the café almost every day during the week, and every weekend either on my way to or from somewhere. Without really noticing, my mood began to improve and I felt almost like my old self. As unlikely as it sounds, Chloe and I did not have a chance to sit and talk very long during my visits and after a while, Ava no longer seemed to think we had any especial interest on each other. I was fine with Ava and anyone else thinking that, but Chloe, so I decided to finally do something.

It was the Saturday before Christmas week and the café was busier than usual, with all the people doing their last minute shopping and coming inside for a warm beverage and an escape from the snow and cold.

"If I may, you might want to wait a while before leaving. It's very crowded in here and if someone recognizes you, it will be a while before you can leave" Chloe said, grabbing my empty mug.

I looked up at her, somewhat startled as I had been deep in thought. She smiled, that beautiful sweet smile, and nodded towards the room behind me. Turning around I could see she wasn't exaggerating, the place really was crowded.

"Or, you can sneak out the back door" She added with a wink.

"Let's try that" I said, standing up and putting my jacket back on.

"Just keep your head down" She said, before grabbing my hand.

Hand in hand, we walked behind the counter, through a door into the kitchen and another door that led outside.

"We made it" She said, letting go of my hand and I tried not to look disappointed at that.

"Thanks"

"Any time, now if you excuse me, I have to get back and help"

"Chloe, wait…. Before you go, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, go on"

"Would you like to… join me for dinner? You know, next Saturday at err… my place?"

I watched as she stared at me for a few minutes, her expression somewhat blank. I was about to blurt out something and leave when she smiled and nodded.

"I would love to" She said.

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in and smiled back at her.

"But… can we not tell anyone?"

"Yeah... why?"

"You are famous Harry" She said, as if explaining something very basic to a child "Didn't you notice how Ava was acting when she thought we were interested on each other? I don't want to deal with that, in a much larger scale, just because I agreed on joining you for dinner."

I nodded. She was right and it made perfect sense. People had monitored my relationship and break up with Ginny, and they would do the same to any other girl I decided to date, even if she and I were only having a first date. Chloe was right, keeping this between us would be the right thing to do, at least for now. And oddly enough, I still hadn't mentioned her or the café to anyone I knew, not even my two best friends.

"Thanks" She said, looking over her shoulder at the door that led to the café "I'm sorry Harry, I really need to go. Happy Christmas"

"To you as well. I will owl you later this week"

She nodded and smiled one more time before turning around and walking back inside. I stood staring at the door for a few minutes before the cold wind had me shaking. With a smile on my face, I apparated back home, anxiously waiting for Saturday.


	4. Carry That Weight

_**The chapter's title is based on the title of a Beatles' song. I'm actually going to try and use their song titles for all the chapters I can (bc, in case you can't tell, i'm a Beatles fan :D)**_

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

I have always loved Christmas at the Burrow, it was the only place other than Hogwarts where I felt loved, got presents and had people to share the holidays with. But this year, ever since me and Ginny broke up, I was dreading Christmas.

I arrived at the Burrow just as the sun was setting, on the twenty four, and was soon greeted by the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen which could only mean one, wonderfull thing: Mrs. Weasley was already cooking dinner. I walked in to find Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Fleur moving around the kitchen.

"Harry!" I heard Hermione say and soon my vision was obscured by her bush hair.

"Happy Christmas Hermione" I said, hugging her back.

When she stepped aside, I was greeted by the other two women before I headed to the living room. There, I found, Mr. Weasley, all the guys but Fred and little Victoire. We all exchanged greetings before I grabbed Victoire, who had been trying to get my attention from the moment I walked in. Several minutes of conversation went by and I had almost forgotten my apprehension when Ginny finally came down. The mood in the room seemed to change as our eyes met and I was certain everyone was attentively watching us.

She climbed down the last few steps and walked towards me. Victoire bounced with excitement in my arms at the sight of her aunt and Ginny smiled down at her, before turning her attention back to me.

"Happy Christmas Harry" She said, smiling.

"Happy Christmas Ginny"

"Can we talk?" She asked and I nodded.

"Outside" She added.

"I'll take her" Bill said, offering his arms to his daughter who immediately flung herself in his direction.

I followed Ginny back into the kitchen and out into the yard, well aware of the flabbergast silence in the kitchen, in the awake of our walk by. We walked to the edge of the yard, her a few steps ahead of me. When we finally stopped, her back was still turned to me and she was looking up, as if admiring the sky.

"That wasn't awkward at all" She said in an amused tone, finally turning to face me.

"It will probably be worse when we go back in"

"And mom will be disappointed; she still thinks we are getting back together"

"Do you?" I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Ginny seemed to notice because she laughed before responding.

"I'm not my mom Harry, I know where we stand"

I nodded

"You have been part of this family for many years now, Harry. I think you will agree with me that things shouldn't change because we didn't work out"

"Of course. We will never go back to what we used to be, before we dated, a lot has changed since then… but I still want you in my life"

"Exactly how I feel… so we are good, right?"

"Yes"

We smiled at each other, the tension between us gone.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Well, busy with work. You? Ron says you have been doing great in the team"

"I have. The other girls are great and I love playing but we spend several hours training everyday"

We continued to small talk for a while longer before neither of us could tolerate the cold. We were almost to the kitchen when we saw a red hair pull away from the window and Ginny turned to face me, a playful smile on her face.

"It seems we were being watched… should we make them pay?"

"How?"

"Let's just make things awkward for a little longer"

We pretended things were still weird between us a few minutes into the meal, until Ginny could no longer hold back her laughter and soon the air was filled with animated conversations and all the chaos that came with gatherings at the Burrow.

Although the three of us had our own places by now, Hermione, Ron and I ended up spending the night at the Burrow. Waking up with Ron to find a pile of presents by our beds felt almost like the Christmas at Hogwarts or past Christmas at the Burrow, bringing back some good memories. We all spend Christmas day together, eating, playing, and enjoying each other's company in the warmth of the fire and the sweaters made by Mrs. Weasley. Fred's absence was felt just nearly as bad as the first Christmas without him, but Victoire was slowly making it easier to deal with.

* * *

I woke up, suddenly feeling very anxious and it took me a few seconds to remember why. Today was finally Saturday, the day Chloe was coming over for dinner. I was mistaken by thinking that because I wanted six o'clock to arrive, it never would, and before I knew it the clock on the mantel let me know she would arrive in fifteen minutes. I walked around my apartment one last time to make sure everything was clean and in place, even though I knew Kreacher had cleaned the entire place earlier today, before heading to the kitchen to check on Kreacher and dinner.

Before long, we both heard a knock on the door and Kreacher went to answer it. I heard them greet each other and his offer to take her jacket, which she accepted. Their voices grew louder as Kreacher walked her to the living room and by the time they reached me, I was even more nervous.

She was dressed casually, wearing boots, dark jeans and a long sleeve shirt in a royal blue color. Her hair was still somewhat wet from the shower she no doubt had had not very long ago, and her face was free of makeup, but beautiful nevertheless. We greeted each other and sat down in the couch, where we stayed for a while talking about the holidays. We had never before spoken about my relationship with Ginny even though she, like the entire wizarding community, knew about it but I found myself discussing my conversation which Ginny on Christmas eve and how things seemed to be fine between us now.

Kreacher brought us buterbeers as Chloe told me about how she spent Christmas. When she was younger, the family tradition was to welcome everyone to their home, but ever since her mother passed away, a year after she started at Hogwarts, things changed. Now, they always spent Christmas at her uncle Paul's, with the rest of her dad's family and they would visit her mom's family for lunch. We moved to the dining room table soon after, and Kreacher served us dinner.

"It's unfair how all elves seem to know how to cook so wonderfully" She said as we sat down and took in the meal in front of us. "My mother taught me how to cook a few dishes, though my dad is the cooker in the family, but nothing either of us cooked was as good as what our elves did"

"You are better off than me, I can't cook at all"

"You mean to tell me there is something the famous Harry Potter can't do?" She teased.

"Disappointing huh? Just don't tell anyone, I would hate to lose my fame"

"Not to worry, your secret is safe with me"

Because I wasn't sure what Chloe liked to eat, I had Kreacher cook a roast chicken, sausage, carrots, peas and roasted potatoes. We continued to joke and talk as we ate, stopping long enough to chew and swallow. Neither of us thought it possible to eat more, but when Kreacher brought out a pumpkin pie, still warm, we couldn't resist the temptation.

**_Chloe's POV_**

Once we were done eating, we went back to the living room and sat on the floor by the fireplace in a comfortable silence. I let my eyes wonder around the room and, for the first time, noticed the two brooms mounted on the wall behind the couch. I recognized the Nimbus 2000 and the first Firebolt model, the one I saw Harry fly during the first task of the tournament and during Quidditch games at school. Dad and I had that model and the following two on display in our living room as well, while the latest model from last year was in our broom closet. Suddenly I felt nostalgic.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, and from the corner of my eye I could see him watching me.

"That I miss flying…" I said, my voice a little coarse "It's been so long"

"We can go flying sometime soon" He said and I could feel the excitement in his voice.

"I… can't…" I said, hating myself for turning his invitation down.

"Why not? Is everything ok?" He asked, finally picking up on my mood

"When I was home in the summer between my first and second year at Hogwarts, I went flying with mom and dad as we always loved to do. On our way back to the house, dad challenged me for a race and we flew back home without worrying about mom, we always raced and she always flew along"

I couldn't tell if my voice was as bad as it sounded in my head, until Harry inched closer to me. I looked straight into his green eyes, uncertain if I should or even could continue. Something in them told me I could, so I did.

"I barely won our race and once we reached the house, we flew down to wait on mom. A few minutes turned into long minutes, and we finally decided to go looking for her. After a few minutes of searching, which felt like an eternity, I spotted mom's broom in the air. Dad grabbed her broom and we both flew straight down. We found mom, barely alive and dad handed me both of their brooms, told me to apparate home, floo to mom's parents and come to the hospital with them. I arrived at the hospital less than fifteen minutes later, but mom was no longer alive"

I stopped, suddenly unable to speak due to the huge knot on my throat. I hadn't spoken about her death in a long time and although it had been many years ago, the pain was still fresh. I jumped slightly as I felt something touch my hand. Looking down I saw Harry had placed his hand over mine and was currently slightly squeezing it, to comfort me. I managed a small smile.

"The Medi Wizards weren't sure what caused her sudden death or how she managed to use a spell to keep her from plunging down, considering how week she must have been… her death was really hard on us. Dan, Oliver and especially Ava and my father were the main reason why I got through it… the first few weeks back at Hogwarts were really hard but I focused on school work and with the Tournament, I had something to distract me even if not for long. It took dad almost a year to gather the nerves to fly again and going back to work was hard on him. He never flies close to where she fell, our Manor sits in a lot of land so it's not hard and I… I haven't flown since then"

"I'm really sorry Chloe" Harry said, as I blinked away a few tears.

"Thanks, I'm sorry as well… you have lost many more people… and I just ruined this date, didn't I?"

"Thanks, and you didn't ruin anything… but if I agree that you did, will you have another date with me?"

I laughed, and some of the sadness and tension seemed to dissipate from my body.

"I will have another date with you nonetheless"

After my sad story, we changed the subject to unimportant things and Harry told me more about his life. Sometime during our conversation, Kreacher came in with tea and pastries for us. Too soon the clock was chiming eleven and I stood up to leave. Harry walked me to the door and we hugged before I stepped outside, checked for any onlookers and with a final wave at him, apparated home.

**_Harry's POV_**

After closing the door, I leaned against it in deep thought. Chloe, like many others I know, was much braver on the inside than what she let out and had faced her own set of hardships. Maybe it was the Potter blood in my veins, my irrational love for Quidditch and my enjoyment at flying but I made myself a promise right then and there. Chloe had, in the few weeks since I first met her, already helped me feel better, she was already responsible in some degrees for my happiness, and I wanted to do the same for her.

I would help her fly again, no matter how long it took


	5. Every Little Thing

**_*_** **_Based on the title of a Beatles' song_**

**_Morning everyone. I apologize for not updating sooner, but this first week of classes has been quite chaotic and I literally just finished writing this chapter (im on my lunch break from work!). The good news is that chapter six was the second chapter I wrote, so it is mainly done. I only need to proof read it and make some small changes, but I will have it posted within the next few days. _**

**_The text in italics is from a memory. _**

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_I remember the first time_**

**_I was lonely without her_**

**_Can't stop thinking about her now_**

**_(lyrics from the chapter's title song)_**

**_Harry's POV_**

During the first month of the new year, I had three more dates with Chloe over at my place, always during the week so Chloe wouldn't have to keep asking for days off which would certainly raise some suspicion. When February came around, she invited me to spend the day at her Manor. Her father was away on a business trip and we had the entire place to ourselves and the elves, which we only say during lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

As the days quickly turned into weeks, I found myself more and more captivated by her. I found myself happier than I had been in months, and although I tried to play it down, I couldn't quite fool my two best friends. Hermione specially was constantly asking me why I was so happy and I constantly evaded her questions. She, still being the brightest witch of her age, had certainly figured something out but she never admitted to it and I never brought it up.

When March came along, Chloe and I found ourselves facing a dilemma. We were tired of spending time together only at our places; we wanted to go out together. However, we still didn't want to make our relationship public. We decided to try the places where I knew the owners, like the Three Broomsticks, and would be able to get a private and secluded table. We would arrive and leave separately if apparating or together by floo network. It wasn't ideal, but it worked.

Tonight we were trying a different place, a Muggle restaurant in downtown London. It was Chloe's idea and she had been very upset at herself for not thinking about it earlier. I was famous in the wizarding world, but not in the Muggle world and we would have no reasons to worry then. We decided on a place called The Ledbury and I flooed to her Manor at eight o'clock, sharp. She was waiting for me at the foyer, looking beautiful as always. I kissed her on the lips, briefly, and offered her my arm. We walked outside together and apparated safely into an alley, near the restaurant.

**_Chloe's POV_**

The Ledbury was simply elegant, and the atmosphere was fantastic. I waited as Harry gave his name for the reservation and we were soon taken to our table, which he had requested to be one by the window because he knew I would like that.

He waited for me to sit before sitting down himself and I smiled at him. We ordered our drinks and an appetizer and I soon found myself halfway listening to him as my mind wondered. Sometimes it was still hard to believe I was dating Harry Potter, the one who killed You Know Who. It was easy to forget how famous he was, because he didn't behave as such which I absolutely loved about him. He was sweet, kind and caring, always worried about others and always making sure I was fine. I liked how protective of me he had already become and how easily and effortlessly things were happening between us.

"Chloe, are you listening to me?" Harry's voice cut through.

"I'm sorry" I said, embarrassed at how quickly my mind had drifted away "really sorry"

"What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about us, and how happy you make me"

I could tell by the look on his face this wasn't what he had expected, but he smiled at me.

"You make me happy too" He said "and I'm really glad we kept this a secret"

"Me too"

Our appetizer and drinks arrived and we ate a few bites in silence. When I stopped eating, Harry looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I want to save room for dessert" I said "Didn't you notice how long the dessert menu is?"

"You and Ron are going to be great friends" Harry said with a chuckle.

It wasn't the first time he said that, referring to a passion for sweets and desserts me and Ron seemed to share.

"They have desserts with a side of ice cream" I said, winking at him and he smirked at our inside joke.

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

_It was the first Saturday in February and Harry had invited me for dinner at his house, to celebrate my grade report from earlier in the week. I was only a few months away from finishing my training and classes were getting harder and harder, but I continued to excel. _

_I arrived at Harry's house only to be informed by Kreacher that Harry had been urgently summoned to the Ministry, but that he would hopefully be back for dinner. Kreacher asked me if I wanted anything and before I could stop myself I said yes, I wanted some ice cream. I remember how he looked at me with a confused expression and I explained to him how I had random cravings for ice cream regardless of the weather outside. Kreacher apologized for not having any and offered to go get me some, but I offered to show him how to make homemade vanilla ice cream. By the time Harry arrived home over an hour later, Kreacher and I were nearly finished, so he sat by the table and watched us as we worked around the kitchen._

_"I had no idea you knew how to make ice cream" Harry said_

_"Mum used to make it for us ever since I can remember. I would always help her and when I was old enough, she taught me how to make it all by myself"_

_"What flavor is it?" _

_"Vanilla" I said with a fond smile "Mum's favorite"_

_"And what is yours?"_

_"Strawberry. And yours?"_

_"Chocolate"_

_After Kreacher and I finished with the ice cream, he served dinner as it was already getting late and Harry was starving. By the end of the meal, we settled on the couch in the living room and Kreacher brought us two ice cream cones with a huge scoop of ice cream on each. _

_"Can I ask why you had to go to the Ministry?" I asked and Harry's face suddenly grew serious._

_"Yes, but promise me that what I am about to say does not leave this room"_

_"Of course!"_

_"We are not entirely sure yet, but there have been rumors of a new group of dark wizards gathering in Britain. The Minister wanted to meet with his top, most trusted, aurors and a few other wizards. He wants us to find out if the rumors are true and who is behind it"_

_"Do you think the rumors are true?"_

_"Yes, wouldn't you?"_

_"I would. You Know Who might be dead but not all of his followers are…"_

_"Another reason for us to keep our relationship a secret" He said, inching closer to me and looking right into my eyes "I don't want anything to happen to you"_

_"Nothing will happen to me" I said putting on a brave face, but knowing he had a point._

_"If these rumors prove to be true, will you let me work on DADA spells with you? Like I did with Dumbledore's Army during my fifth year?"_

_"You don't believe I learned what I needed while at Hogwarts?" _

_"Perhaps, but it would make me feel better if I knew for certain you could take care of yourself, in case I am not around to do it myself"_

_"That's very sweet of you Mr. Potter. If the rumors do prove to be true, we can train together"_

_He nodded, looking satisfied and wrapped his arm around me. Resting my head on his chest, we continued to enjoy our ice creams._

_"You know Ava is going to kill us when she finally finds out, right?" I said, looking up at him._

_"She will have to beat Hermione to it" He joked._

_"I'm a little anxious about meeting her" I said, frowning at my ice cream cone. _

_"Why?"_

_"She is intimidating…"_

_"Hermione is great. You will like her"_

_"I am more concerned about her not liking me… not to mention all the Weasleys"_

_"Chloe" He began, and I sat up straight to face him "I just told you about the rumors concerning dark wizards, and you are worried about Hermione and the Weasleys?"_

_"Dark wizards are not your family and loved ones, I don't need them to like me and approve your decision to date me"_

_"As long as I am happy, which I am, they will support me. Stop worrying"_

_"Ok" I said with a small smile, knowing fully well I would not stop worrying. "Do you like the ice cream?"_

_"Well, how can I say this without hurting your feelings…?" He teased._

_I looked at him with a hurt expression and he grinned at me, bringing the cone to his mouth and before I could change my mind, I pushed the cone into his face._

_"Hey!" He said as I pulled back my hand and laughed at him._

_"You asked for it" I said, shrugging. _

_"Very well then" He said, grabbing the ice cream from his cone and throwing it at me. _

_The ice cream hit my forehead and dribbled down my face. I quickly wiped some from my eyes and lunched towards Harry, pushing my own ice cream cone on his face. We continued to playfully fight each other until all the ice cream had melted and both the cones were reduced to useless crumbs. _

_"We better clean this before Kreacher comes here" I said as we stood by the couch, looking over at our mess. _

_"We should probably clean ourselves too" He said, taking a step closer to me until our faces were inches apart._

_"We should…"_

_"You have some here" He added, using his hand to brush away some of the ice cream close to my mouth. Suddenly, I was very aware of just how close we were and how my heart was beating out of control "Or we can wait just a bit longer…."_

_Leaning in, his lips brushed my ever so slightly. I close my eyes as he wrapped his arms around me and I did the same. Soon, our kiss grew deeper and more urgent, the sweet taste of vanilla adding a special touch. _

**_Harry's POV_**

_We pulled away from each other breathing heavily. I watched as Chloe, who was now blushing, put a strand of hair behind her ear, bit her lower lip and looked down. _

_"That was some really good ice cream" I said and she looked up again. _

_Soon, we were both laughing to the point our stomachs hurt and that was how Kreacher found us a few minutes later._

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

"Chloe, you are wondering again" Harry said.

"Sorry, I was thinking about our first kiss"

"That was a fun night… we should do it again" He said with a smile, placing his hand above mine.

"We most definitely should"

A flash of light startled us and some of the people sitting on the tables nearby. We both looked around and then out of the window.

"Was that lighting?" I asked.

"Maybe, I don't see any clouds"

"It may still be further out"

"Maybe"

We turned back to each other as our waitress brought the food and after we left the restaurant, we apparated back to my house for some dessert.


	6. Do You Want to Know a Secret

**_*_** **_Based on the title of a Beatles' song_**

**_I really like this chapter and I hope you will as well! No idea when the next one will be up, but Ill try my best to have it by the end of the next week. For those in the US, have a great holiday tomorrow ( :_**

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

I woke up with a smile on my face the following morning, even knowing it was far too early. Just a few hours ago Harry and I had had a wonderful dinner and an even better time with dessert. As soon as we arrived at my house we dismissed the house elves from the kitchen and he helped me prepare chocolate ice cream, much of which ended up on the floor and walls after Harry started another food fight.

Still thinking about him I got up and headed for the shower. I had happily agreed on switching my Saturday night shift with Oliver's Friday morning one because he hadn't been feeling good and could really use some sleep. That seemed to be a good idea at the time since I didn't have training this Friday and it would give me a free Saturday night with Harry, but the few hours of sleep I just had clearly were not enough and it was with a series of yawns that I apparated to my uncle's café.

* * *

I was the first one to arrive and after going in and checking on things, I poured myself some coffee. Soon, the back door opened and I heard Ava mumble something as she made her way to the front.

"Explain yourself" Ava said, throwing something in the counter between us.

Looking up from my mug of coffee, I glanced over at her. Her arms were crossed, she was tapping her left foot, her mouth was a flat line and her eyes were burning with anger.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, sincerely puzzled.

We continued to stare at each other in silence, save for her foot still taping which was really annoying me. After a few more seconds dragged by, she nodded her head towards the counter and I leaned in to look. The mug in my hand fell, hitting the ground and breaking into several fragments, hot coffee splashing around, but my mind barely registered that. Instead, I was entirely focused on the large picture occupying half of the front page of the Daily Prophet. The Harry and I in the picture were sitting across from each other, my hand resting on the table and his over mine, both of us smiling; but the real me, the one whose shaky hands now held the paper, was far from smiling.

"How long have you been seeing him?" Ava asked, finally speaking again.

I ignored her and continued to read the article, which continued into pages two and three. Of course Harry and I knew we wouldn't be able to hide our relationship from everyone forever, but neither of us expected it to be so soon. And we both had taken precautions when going out in public, trying to avoid exactly what was happening.

"You lied to me Chloe, you said you were just friends with him, remember?"

"We weren't dating then Ava, so I didn't lie to you"

"Why didn't you tell me when you started dating then?" Ava said, her tapping ceasing "I _am_ your best friend!"

"We agreed on not telling anyone" I said, finally looking up "At least not for a while"

"And why, may I ask?"

"Oh I don't know Ava, is not like he is a famous wizard or anything" I snapped, suddenly very upset.

Turning my back on her, I drew out my wand and cleaned the mess. Once the now fixed mug was back in my hand, I poured myself more coffee. Behind me, Ava had resumed tapping her foot.

"Will you please stop with that?" I said, turning around to face her "It's incredibly annoying"

She looked at me with an even more infuriated look, but stopped tapping her foot. I let out a loud sigh.

"Ava, no one knew about us… not even my dad" I watched as her anger seemed to lessen "and Harry didn't tell his best friends either. We just wanted a chance to get to know each other, no pressure"

"You still haven't answered my question" She said.

"For the past three months or so" I said.

"That actually explains a lot" She said, all traces of anger gone. "And you know you will have to tell me _everything_"

"Well aware"

"Then I suggest you start soon, three months is a lot of time"

I nodded, actually eager to share with her the happenings of the past three months. Now that Harry and I were no longer a secret, I could have my best friend back, so to speak. After exchanging smiles once more, we both resumed getting everything ready. I opened the doors and before long our usual costumers came in and I completely forgot about the article in the paper, but of course that didn't last very long.

Soon after we opened, a small crowd of witches and wizards carrying feathers, notepads and cameras walked in and I suddenly found myself with my back pressed against a wall as pictures were taken and several voices tried to ask me questions at once. I shot one pleading look towards Ava, but she was already coming to my rescue. I watched as she elbowed her way to me.

"I'll take care of this, go" She said, before turning her back on me to face the crowd.

I watched as she told the reporters to leave, and laughed when she threatened to curse them all if they didn't.

"Ava, I can't leave. You can't work alone!" I said, hoping she would hear me.

"I'll owl Oliver, _go_" She said as she drew her wand.

"Thanks" I said, before turning on the spot and apparating home.

* * *

I apparated into the living room and walked to the windows, to peek outside. A smaller crowed than the one at the café was outdoors, by the gates and clearly waiting for me to come home. I groaned, hoping that my father would choose to apparate directly inside the house or take the floo network. Either way, I hoped to get to him before that crowd did.

I looked around the house, suddenly very anxious. Without work to distract me, what was I to do? I wondered if Harry had seen the article yet and if he was fighting a mob as well… I guessed he probably was. I desperately wanted to see him, but I knew the Ministry would be just as full of curious people, and I would already have to deal with that in two days when training resumed… I would rather avoid it for now.

For what it felt like an eternity, I considered many different things like going back to work (assuming Ava had dealt with everyone, which I'm sure she did), going back to bed (but sleeping would be impossible) and going to visit my uncle (which I probably really should, considering his coffee shop was the place invaded by crazy reporters this morning). I ended up deciding to change back into my pjs and trying to read a book.

I was about to sit down when an owl I recognized as my uncle's caught my attention. Opening the window, I retrieved the letter and tore into the envelop. It was a letter from both Ava and Oliver assuring me the crowd of reporters was gone, but several people had come in wanting to see Harry's new girlfriend, so I should stay home. Oliver also said he would work the rest of my shift and that my uncle was also helping out. After putting down the letter, I grabbed a blank piece of parchment and wrote them back, thanking them for their help and telling Oliver to take tomorrow off, as I would be coming in for him. I knew they wouldn't like it, but I refused to let my relationship with Harry interfere with my work.

I tried really hard to read the book, I really did, but nothing I read registered in my mind and I finally gave up, slamming the book shut. Getting up, I headed to the kitchen, deciding that a nice mug of tea might help. I had barely taken three steps however, when a loud pop came from behind me.

Turning around, expecting to see my father or one of our house elves, my eyes fell on Harry and for a few seconds, we simply stared at each other. His expression was hard to read, and he watched me as if trying to decipher my expression as well. Growing tired of the unusually painful silence between us, I thought of what to say, but Harry was the one to break the silence.

"I'm sorry" He said.

"For what? You can't possible blame yourself for the article" I said, trying to make sure he knew I wasn't upset with him.

"I know, but I never wanted this to happen. I went to the café the moment I saw the paper and Ava told me what happened... are you, err, ok?"

I watched him as he looked down for a moment, angry at whoever was responsible for the article, only because they were causing unnecessary pain to the man in front of me. He was visibly upset and worried, and I hated it.

"Harry" I said in a low voice, and he finally looked up again "I'm fine, promise. I knew this might happen and now that it did, we will deal with it… _together._ Stop worrying about me"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Harry, I am" I gave him a warm smile and to my relief, he smiled back "Did you get surrounded by a mob of reporters too?"

"No, unfortunately for them, Ron saw the paper much earlier than I did and he made sure none of the reporters knew where I was meeting with the Minister, or for how long. Once I came out of the meeting, Ron handed me the paper and helped me leave the ministry without being noticed. There were a few reporters still outside the café when I arrived, but they didn't dare follow me in."

"Ava can be very scary when she wants" I said with a chuckle.

"Remind me to never get on her bad side" He joked.

"That's very wise of you Mr. Potter"

"She seemed upset that you didn't tell her about us"

"She was, but we talked and she will be fine. How was Ron?"

"Okay, he said I have a lot of explaining to do, but he's not the one I'm worried about. Hermione will probably jinx me"

"Then I suggest you be ready" I said with an understanding smile.

He smiled as well and walked closer to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I wrapped mine around his neck and rested my head on his chest. For a few minutes we stood like that, enjoying each other's company, until a loud pop caused both of our heads to snap in the direction of the sudden sound.

Standing just a few steps away from us, taking off his hat and placing his bag on the floor, was my father. He seemed not to notice us for the first few seconds but when he finally did, the look of surprise on his face made me want to laugh.

"Hi dad" I said, as casually as possible.

Harry, who had tensed the moment we heard the pop, quickly untangled himself from me and turned towards my father. I glanced at him and the look on his face also made me feel like laughing. Between him and my father, it was rather hard to say which one looked the most shocked to see the other, and Harry's face also showed some apprehension.

"Dad, this is Harry… Harry, this is my father, Elliot" I said, trying my best to shake them both from their inertia.

"Harry, as in Harry Potter?" My dad asked, still incredulous that one of the most famous wizards ever was standing in his living room.

"Umm… yes sir" Harry said, taking a step towards my dad and offering his right hand.

"What a pleasure to meet you, my boy" Dad said, taking Harry's hand with both of his "It is an honor Mr. Potter"

"Harry, please call me Harry sir"

"And please call me Elliot, _Harry_"

I chuckled, and both men turned to me. I shrugged and took a deep breath.

"Dad, I… there is something we need to tell you" I said, glancing at Harry. He looked just as nervous as I did.

"Is everything ok?" Dad asked, looking from me to Harry and from Harry to me.

"Yes sir, I meant Elliot" Harry said.

"Then what is going on?"

"Harry and I made the front page of the Daily Prophet" I began, but dad cut me off.

"_You _did?"

"Yes. They found out that… well… Harry and I are dating"

The look of surprise I had seem on his face when he first saw Harry was absolutely nothing compared to the look dad was giving us now.

"My daughter... is dating Harry Potter… _the_ Harry Potter" My dad said, mainly to himself.

"Umm, yes." I said, rolling my eyes "We never meant for the paper to find out before we had a chance to tell everyone, but they did"

"How?"

"We are not sure" Harry said "But I will find out"

"Is that why you are here and not at work?" Dad asked me.

With Harry's help, we told my dad about what had happened to both of us that morning. When I told him about the reporters outside our house, he reacted much like Ava and promised to take care of them as soon as we were done talking. Before long, Harry excused himself and promised me he would owl later and after shaking my dad's hand one more time, he left. Once Harry was gone, my father kept me talking nonstop, answering some of the thousands of questions he seemed to have about Harry and me.

By the time I convinced him to stop asking questions, it was lunch time. The house elves came by to ask if they should cook lunch but dad sent them away and he offered to take me out to eat, before realizing that would entail leaving the Manor. I laughed as he apologized and offered to go get us something instead, but I shook my head.

"Dad, I am just dating Harry, not being accused of blowing up something" I said.

"I know darling, but won't you be upset if people approach you?"

"Annoyed perhaps, but they will grow tired eventually. Plus, I know of a place they won't bother us" I said, with playful a smile.

Catching on, he smiled at me as well and after I quickly ran to my room and changed clothes, we apparated to my uncle's café.


	7. Cry for a Shadow

**_*_** **_Based on the title of a Beatles' song_**

_**Hey everyone, I know you are probably tired of my apologies but, once again, I'm sorry it has taken longer than I wanted for an update. Work has been chaotic and my classes are very busy as well!**_

_**This is a shorter chapter than the others so far, but we are getting a taste of what's to come. "X" is a character that I will not be revealing the name for a while, in order to keep the suspense going for a little while ; )**_

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_X's POV_**

It was late, very late as I stood still by the fireplace, watching the wood burn and listening to the fire crack. After months of careful recruiting and planning, today was the day we would gather to make the final decisions.

"Come in" I said, after someone knocked on the door.

"Everyone is here and ready to begin Master" He, my must trusted man, said with a bow.

"Excellent, move along" I said, walking out of my study.

We walked in silence from one end of my manor to the other, where all fifteen of my trusted wizards were waiting for me. I walked in and everyone hurriedly sat down and as I walked to the end of the table, I greeted them with small nods of my head.

"The wizarding community is fooled by a false sense of security" I began, and every eye in the room was looking at me "Ever since our Dark Lord was murdered by that stupid boy, everyone believes they are safe…. And that might have been true for the past few years… but no more. We will rise from the shadows and claim what is rightly ours, we will honor the Dark Lord's vision of a new wizarding world"

There were quiet murmurs of agreement from those present and I nodded in approval.

"We will give them all a reason to fear us, but we will not reveal ourselves until victory is at hand. It is much harder to fight an unknown enemy… we will take down Potter once and for all to weaken the Ministry and any resistance…. And then… we will take over the Ministry and finish what the Dark Lord started"

There were more murmurs of agreement.

"Master, what about Neville Longbottom? He was the leader of the Hogwarts opposition… he is a serious threat as well…"

"Mr. Longbottom will be one of the first to go" I said "We will kill Potter and his closest friends and allies, before making our final move"

"What about his new girlfriend?" The only woman present asked.

"She will be the _key_ to Potter's demise" I said.

Our meeting continued for a while longer as we discussed many details and made final preparations. By the time people began to leave, I was filled with exhilaration at the prospect of what was to come. Once the room was empty of everyone but my most trusted man, he approached me.

"Master, he is here"

"Brilliant" I said

"What should I tell him?"

"Tell him we are ready…. It is time to set things in motion"

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

The smell of bacon drifted through the house, eventually reaching the bedroom. A few breaths in and my eyes opened, my mouth suddenly drooling. The smell of eggs soon joined the bacon and had me jumping out of bed and walking towards the kitchen within seconds. I approached the kitchen slowly, rubbing my eyes and still not fully awake and I stopped when I saw her.

She was moving around as she cooked breakfast, wearing nothing but my old Quidditch shirt, which I had not worn since my sixth year, and a pair of her Ravenclaw blue socks. Her blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she kept pushing her bangs out of the way looking rather annoyed by them.

"That shirt looks much better on you than it ever did on me" I said, hugging her from behind.

"Thanks" She said, leaning against me "I guess this means you are not mad I borrowed it?"

"Not at all, especially since you are cooking breakfast"

Chloe laughed and, turning around, playfully smacked me in the chest.

"I was going to bring it back to bed with me, but since you came out here we can just sit at the table" She said.

"Let's just take it back to bed… I like that idea" I said, pushing her hair aside and kissing her neck.

"Stop it Harry" She said with a chuckle "I'm trying to cook"

"Sorry, sorry… So, what have you done with Kreacher?" I asked as I grabbed a piece of bacon from the plate next to the frying pan and sat down to watch her finish cooking.

"Over at Ron and Hermione's… he is helping her cook dinner for tonight"

I watched as she bit her lower lip and looked down at the bacon. It had been about a week since the article came out and she had yet to meet my friends, which would be happening tonight. It had been Hermione's idea to have us over for dinner and Chloe had been increasingly nervous as the week went by. Things had calmed down for us in the past couple of days, although she still had people randomly approaching her in the ministry, on her way to work or any time she was out.

Chloe had dealt with it very well until a poor witch from a not so famous magazine had approached her last night, right after she had left the ministry having just taken a hard exam. Chloe had been so stressed over the exam that when the witch approached her she burst into tears, screamed at the witch to leave her alone and apparated away. I came home to find her in my couch, holding a mug of tea Kreacher had just given her and trying to control her sobbing. I held her in my arms until her sobbing stopped and Kreacher served us dinner.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Chloe said, startling me.

"I was just trying to remember how we went from you sobbing in my arms to the gorgeous girl in front of me, wearing my Quidditch jersey…" I teased.

"If I remember it correctly" She said, blushing furiously "It had something to do with those silly hands of yours…" and she winked at me "Breakfast is ready, shall we take it to the room?"

"Definitely" I said, my mind no longer thinking about the food.


	8. Young Blood

_*****_**_ Based on the title of a Beatles' song_**

**_Surprise! Turns out my school/work decided to close tomorrow because of the weather. So, instead of doing homework tonight (I figured I can just wait and do it on my free day tomorrow) I decided to go ahead and write another chapter. YAY! _**

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

After a late breakfast and a long shower, Harry and I settled in his study. While he worked on some Ministry paperwork, I read the assigned notes for class on Monday. The afternoon passed quickly as we were both busy and before I knew it, we were standing by the fireplace ready to floo over to Ron and Hermione's. Part of me was very excited to finally meet them, but I was also very nervous and I found myself wishing I could be at work, though I was off the entire weekend, helping Ava.

"Do you want to go first?" Harry asked.

"No, you go ahead and I will follow"

"Chloe, it is going to be fine"

"I know" I said, somewhat unconvincingly.

"See you very soon" He said, kissing my cheek before reaching for the floo powder "Ron's apartment"

I watched as the flames engulfed him before stepping in. With a final deep breath in a attempt to calm myself, I said the words.

In a flash of green I arrived at their apartment. I stepped out of the fireplace and almost walked into Harry, who was waiting for me.

"Ready?" he asked, reaching for my hand.

"Ready"

He walked me to the kitchen, where Kreacher was hard at work and Hermione was telling Ron to stay away from the pudding.

"Hey, we are here" Harry said and everyone else looked our way.

"Hi Kreacher" We both said.

"Hi mate" Ron said, shaking hands with Harry "And Chloe, right? Good to finally meet you"

"You as well Ron, I've been told you and I will be very good friends"

"Yes, Harry has mentioned something about your love for sweets. You will have to try my mom's treacle tart sometime"

"I would love that" I said with a smile "oh, hi Hermione" I added, noticing for the first time that she was now standing next to me. "Good to meet you"

"You too Chloe, _finally_"

"Yes… I'm sorry about that" I said, suddenly a little uncomfortable.

"I can't believe Harry actually thought he could keep this from us… I _knew_ he was seeing someone. Anyway, he said you were in Ravenclaw?"

"Yes"

"Did you know Luna?"

"Only a little, I kept mostly to my two best friends. But she seemed very nice… just a little… err"

"Different?" Hermione offered.

"Yes" I agreed "Thank you for inviting us for dinner"

"Of course, would you like to help me and Kreacher finish with dinner? And you boys can go in the living room, there should be bottles of butterbeer in there"

Harry looked at me as if silently asking whether I would be ok by myself with Hermione. I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be just next door" He whispered in my ear on his way out "Just call if you need me, all right?"

I nodded and the boys left.

"Thanks for the idea of sending Kreacher over" Hermione said as she walked over to the food "I can't cook, but Harry says you are very good at it?"

"I wouldn't say very good" I joked "But I do know how to cook"

"Mistress Chloe can make a very good ice cream" Kreacher joined in.

"Thank you Kreacher. What have you cooked for tonight?"

"Shepherd's pie with carrots and peas" He said, moving the pie to the table "The food will be ready soon"

"Thank you Kreacher" Hermione said, grabbing two bottles of butterbeer and offering me one "Tell me a little more about yourself Chloe, Harry didn't say very much"

Hermione and I continued to talk a little longer, sharing things about our lives and I told her more about how Harry and I got together. My nervousness and apprehension slowly faded and by the time Kreacher told us he was ready to serve dinner, the two of us were in the middle of a serious talk about transfiguration spells.

By the end of the night, I found myself wondering why I had been so nervous in the first place. Harry had been right, Hermione (and Ron) was great and they made me feel very welcomed at their home.

We left with the promise of getting together again very soon and Hermione and I agreed on meeting for lunch on Monday. She was very good with memory charms and agreed on helping me with my studies.

"See, it was fine" Harry said once we were back at his place.

"I know, I know…. You have great friends… not that you didn't know that already"

"I'm glad you seem to like each other"

"Me too. Well, I better head of"

"Are you sure you can't stay?"

"You know I can't, dad should already be back and I haven't seen him since he left for Ireland on Monday"

"I'll see you Monday night then?"

"Absolutely" I said before kissing him "Bye Kreacher!" I added on my way out.

Dad was waiting for me in his study when I arrived home and it was well past midnight when he and I finally went to sleep. We spend Sunday over at uncle Paul's with the family. Some of them played a Quidditch game as I watched from the ground with Aunt Elizabeth and the two of us eventually headed back inside to cook dinner. Dad and I arrived back at the Manor later that night and as I showered before going to bed, it suddenly hit me how tired I was.

I hurried to bed ready to fall asleep; it wouldn't do well to start the week already feeling exhausted.

* * *

I arrived home Monday night and found a letter waiting in my room. It was from Harry and it said he had been called back to the Ministry and he would meet me at the Manor once they were done. Thinking nothing of it, I sat on the couch by the fireplace with a good book.

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

I arrived at the Minister's office and was surprised to see he wasn't alone. Ron, Hermione and four other aurors were there as well.

"Good, now that Harry is here I can begin" Kingsley said, his voice very serious. Handing each of us a piece of paper, he continued "Something terrible has happened. Landon here has been able to keep it concealed but it won't be for long. Read the address on your papers and apparate there immediately"

I looked at both Ron and Hermione who's expression mirrored mine. I could see the apprehension in their eyes, it was very clear whatever had happened was very severe. I looked down at the address on my paper, it was vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite place it. All around me people were apparating with a pop and I apparated as well.

Arriving at the address I looked at the house, and it finally hit me why I recognized it. The tree of us had been here once, not long ago, to visit Neville and his girlfriend Anna, whose house we were looking at.

"Let's go in" Kingsley said.

The moment with stepped into the living room I heard Hermione gasp and felt as she grabbed my arm with her hand. From the corner of my eye I saw Ron wrap his arm around her. Then I looked at the center of the room and time stood still.

Neville and Ana were on the floor, their bodies twisted in an almost inhuman way. Above them, glowing in malevolence was the Dark Mark.

* * *

**Right, I just killed Neville... and that was terrible... sorry! =x **

**I wasn't planing to do it at first, but as the summary says Dark forces are at work and unfortunately it wouldn't be realistic if none of our beloved died. It is ok to be mad at me, Im kinda mad at myself as well... Its all part of the greater story though, and things will get worse before they get better. **


	9. Not A Second Time

_*****_**_ Based on the title of a Beatles' song_**

_**As always, anything other than the OC or otherwise cited, belongs to JK.**_

_**Keep in mind how important reviews are to writers, so feel free to send me one with any suggestions, criticism and praises!**_

_**Enjoy (:**_

* * *

**_Harry's POV_**

As Ron whispered "Bloody Hell" and Hermione began to sob, I shook my head from side to side in an effort to clear it. Neville was dead, and the message was clear: revenge. None of us who fought against Voldemort and his followers were safe and those around us could be in danger as well. Those around us… around us… _Chloe._

Without a second thought, I walked past the Minister and into the kitchen. Pulling out my wand I casted spells to keep the others from hearing me.

"Kreacher" I said and with a pop, he apparated in front of me.

"Master Harry" He said with a small bow.

"I don't have time to explain Kreacher, so listen carefully. Go to Chloe's Manor and tell her to pack a bag for a couple of days. Tell her something bad has happened and she is to stay at my apartment with you. She can send one of her house elves to inform her father, but tell him to stay in Bulgaria instead of coming back sooner. Other than that, she is not to see or speak to anyone else until I come back home"

"Tell her to keep her wand close by" Hermione said, suddenly next to me "and give her this piece of paper, it has important shield spells she must know, in case she has to leave Harry's apartment… Sorry Harry, I had to come in here and check on you and I overheard you and Kreacher. Don't worry, Ron is keeping everyone else out of the kitchen until you are done."

"Thanks Hermione "I said with a new found appreciation for my friends "Stay with her at all times Kreacher and if any strangers come by my apparent, take her away. This is really important"

"Yes master"

"Go Kreacher, I will come to home when I can"

After he left I undid the spells and, with Hermione, walked back to the living room.

* * *

**_Chloe's POV_**

"Kreacher" I cried looking down at the little creature whose sudden pop startled me "What are you doing here?"

"Master Harry sent me, mistress Chloe must come with me"

"What is going on? Is he ok?"

"Master is fine, but something bad has happened and he ordered Kreacher to take mistress Chloe home. Pack a bag for the next few days and come with Kreacher, we must hurry"

Before his sentence was even over, I had started running towards my room. Kreacher followed me as best as he could but by the time he made it to my room, I had already started to pack. I groaned at myself for dropping things thanks to my shaky hands and for opening the same drawer four times before realizing what I needed wasn't in it.

"Kreacher, can I tell my dad I'm going to Harry's?"

"Master says for you to send an elf"

"Lana" I called and the little elf appeared "Go to my father and tell him something has happened and Harry wants me at his place. We are both fine and I will contact him again soon, but he is not to come back here"

"Yes Mistress Chloe"

"And you are not allowed to speak of this to _anyone_ or _anything _other than my father and I. Don't matter what you are told or ordered, you know _nothing_ of my whereabouts, of Kreacher's visit or that Harry sent him. Take this to the grave, are we clear?"

"Yes mistress"

"Then _go_"

As soon as she left, I ran into my bathroom and threw all kinds of things into my bag without really stopping to look at them.

"I'm ready" I said, stepping back into my room.

Reaching for my hand Kreacher apparated us back to Harry's apartment. Before he had a chance to let go of me, I casted a few spells to make sure we were alone and that none of the protective spells at the place had been tempered with. Throwing my bag on the floor, I plopped on the couch and Kreacher came to stay by me.

"This is for you" he said, handing me a piece of parchment.

"Hermione?" I said, looking at the handwriting "Was there anyone else?"

"Kreacher saw only Master and his friend"

"Do you know what happened?"

"No, Master was standing in a kitchen but Kreacher didn't recognize it"

I nodded and silence fell between us. We spent the several next hours in silence, staring without really seeing at the fireplace or wall, my hand holding my wand and both of us close enough to reach for each other in a case of emergency. Sometime around four in the morning I finally fell asleep, but it was an unrestful sleep that lasted only a few minutes at the time. As I began to drift again, both Kreacher and I jumped at the sound of a sudden pop. I stood up, wand pointed straight at the heart of the man in front of me.

"What is the secret ingredient on any of my mother's ice cream?" I asked Harry, whose wand was also pointed at me.

"A spoon of honey" He said "What were Snape's last words to me?"

"Look at me" I answered, bringing down my hand and walking towards Harry.

We collide rather harshly and wrapped our arms around each other. We stood in silence for a few minutes, relieved to be together, knowing the other was safe.

"Tell me what is going on Harry" I said, finally looking up into his eyes.

"Come sit down Chloe, there is a lot I need to tell you"

We both thanked Kreacher, who left to make us some tea and sat on the couch. I snuggled in his arms and he held me tight as he spoke.

"The Minister is going to make an announcement in a few hours… he is not going to disclose everything but he _is_ going to tell the general public the rumors about the Death Eaters are true… Yesterday, one of our aurors got a letter from a mysterious person telling him to go to a specific address. Landon went there with William and they found two bodies, the dark mark floating above them"

"What?" I said, my voice barely audible "Who?"

"Neville and his girlfriend Anna"

"I… Harry I'm so sorry"

"Thanks, but I need you to focus on what I am about to say…. You and I will be training together every night of the week starting today and… I want you to say here with me. We don't know who those people are and when they will attack… but we do know that all of us who fought at Hogwarts are in danger, especially those like me and closer to me"

"I understand"

"We need to be extra careful until we can find whoever those people are and send them to Azkaban. I'm going to meet with your uncle later today to discuss protecting their house and his café. I have also sent an owl to your father asking him to come here first, once he gets back to England, so that we can discuss protecting your house"

"You are going to all this trouble for me, but what about everyone else? What about you Harry?"

He waited for Kreacher to serve us the tea before taking a sip of it, sighing heavily and continuing.

"The Minister will instruct people to protect themselves and be vigilant, much like they have done before and I will be fine Chloe. I will be around you, or Hermione and Ron or other aurors"

"People are going to panic" I said "This is bad Harry"

"I know, but we have spent the last few hours discussing the best way to address what happened and the next steps to take… we will get through this"

"You don't sound so convincing"

"I'm just tired…. And Neville… he's gone… and I thought we were all safe, that all the fighting was over"

"So did I, but this will pass Harry. The Ministry will catch whoever did that to Neville"

"Of course…. Let's go to bed Chloe, we will both need some sleep… today will be a long day"

We put down our mugs and went into his bedroom. After quickly changing clothes we lay down and tried to sleep, both failing miserably at it.


End file.
